Biofeedback devices, systems, and methods are provided. In many embodiments, the disclosed biofeedback devices, system, and methods generate an audio output signal that is converted into sound waves output to a user in real time response to the user's respiratory activity. The audio output signal can include a modified version of a respiratory signal generated in response to the user's respiratory activity. For example, a microphone can be used to convert sound of the user's respiratory activity into the respiratory signal, and the respiratory signal can be modified to increase the volume level of portions of the respiratory signal where the volume level exceeds a specified volume level, which may provide the user with the ability to, for example, learn to modify and control breathing sound levels and patterns while awake or asleep. The respiratory signal can also be modified in response to a non-respiratory signal generated in response to a non-respiratory activity of the user, which may provide the user with the ability to, for example, learn to modify and control the non-respiratory activity.
Various respiration biofeedback techniques and systems have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,876 discloses a nasal breath monitor, which uses separate sensors for each nostril to detect the flow of the breath, electronic circuitry to amplify and enhance the detected signal, and stereo headphones to bring this information to the ears. The disclosed electronic circuitry includes a compressor to make quiet breath sounds louder and loud breath sounds quieter, so that the user can hear very gentle breathing without the user being deafened by the explosive turbulence of a sneeze. However, the nasal breath monitor does not accentuate portions of the user's respiratory activity that exceed a specified intensity level. In contrast, the nasal breath monitor accentuates a portion of the user's respiratory activity that does not exceed a specified intensity level. As such, the nasal breath monitor is not operable to accentuate a portion of the user's respiratory activity that exceeds a specified intensity level (e.g., snoring louder than a given threshold).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,867 discloses a device for the suppression of snoring. The disclosed device includes a snoring detector, a sound generator to generate a plurality of acoustic signals having differing spectral composition, and a control means for automatically selecting a succession of the acoustic signals generated upon detection of snoring noises. A signal from a microphone is input into the snoring detector, which output a signal to the control means. The control means controls the sound generator, which outputs an acoustic signal to an amplifier, which is also controlled by the control means. The output from the amplifier is converted into sound output to the user. Preferably, the sounds output to the user become increasingly unpleasant as the snoring continues. The output signal from the sound generator does not include a modified version of the audio signal generated by the microphone, which does not increase awareness of the user's respiratory activity as a means of making a change in a breathing pattern.
The recording of breathing sounds in general may be known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,238 discloses the use of multiple sensors to analyze breath sounds. The focus of this patent appears to be on the initial screening, detection, defining, and verification process. However, this device does not feedback the sound of the breath to the patient/client for the purpose of education, modification, and training.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,964 discloses a data processing apparatus having breath detection function and an image display control method using breath detection. Breathing sound inputted by an input means such as a microphone are detected and used to control a display state of an image on a display screen or a driving state of a movable object such as a robot. However, this device does not feedback the sound of the breath to the patient/client for the purpose of education, modification, and training.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,037 discloses devices, systems and methods for the modification of biorhythmic activity. A sensor monitors a user's biorhythmic activity to generate a signal supplied to a monitor that processes the signal to generate output parameters. The output parameters are input into a driver and into a biorhythmic activity modifier. The driver generates modifier operational commands that are input into the biorhythmic activity modifier. The biorhythmic activity modifier modifies the received parameters in accordance with the received modifier operational commands to generate modified output parameters, which are used by the biorhythmic activity modifier to generate the stimulus input to the user. However, this device does not feedback the sound of the breath to the patient/client for the purpose of education, modification, and training.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,006,650 discloses a device for attenuating sound on the human ear, especially for preventing sleep disturbances caused by noise and other sounds. The device includes two sound attenuating ear plugs having miniature integral radio receivers, and a radio station configured to transmit radio signals to the radio receivers for conversion to sound output to the user. The radio station is coupled with various alarm modules (e.g., movement detector, telephone, door bell, baby monitoring device, smoke alarm) to trigger the transmission of specific radio signals from the radio station that are converted into sound output to the user. The radio station also includes a microphone that picks up sounds that can be used to generate corresponding radio signals. For example, the snoring sounds of the user can be picked up. The snoring sound can be evaluated, identified, and used to trigger the transmission of a radio signal to the radio receivers, and the user perceives the corresponding audio signals. The volume of the audio signals is selected such that the snorer is either woken up or urged to change the user's sleeping position and so stop snoring. Apart from artificially generated sounds, the original snoring sounds can be reproduced identically as the audio signals, so that the snoring person hears their own snoring in a kind of sound feedback and interrupts the snoring process. To check whether snoring or another sound is an event, a sound recognition system is arranged between the microphone and the radio station transmitter. Due to the sound recognition system, only certain sounds, which can be specified before hand, are transmitted from the radio station to the radio receivers. As such, this device does not feedback the sound of the breath to the patient/client for the purpose of education, modification, and training.
There is therefore a need for respiratory biofeedback devices, system, and methods that do not suffer from the above and other shortcomings.